Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for power tuning a terminal of a bi-directional communications system

US6111887A · kind A · utility

15Cited by
7References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 8, 1997
Grant dateAug 29, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 8, 2017

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04W52/362
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for power tuning a terminal of a bi-directional communications system, such as a cable television plant. An iterative or cycle method is used to achieve a proper terminal transmitter power level at a remote terminal. A polling signal is transmitted in a downstream direction from a controller to the terminal. If the controller receives a status signal which is transmitted upstream from the terminal, then the controller compares a received power level measured at a head end against a predetermined range of acceptable power levels. If the power level is outside of the predetermined range, then the controller calculates and transmits a terminal transmitter power level in a downstream direction to the terminal. The iterative or cyclic method repeats until the received power level is within the predetermined range. If the received power level of the terminal remains outside of the predetermined range after a specified count of cycles or iterations or if the head end does not receive a status signal, then the controller either aborts the cycle or attempts to revive the terminal.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.